how tight should the steering cable be?

[Phoenix of Hamble]

This weekend my steering cable dropped off the quadrant just as we let go of a mooring buoy in the River Ore, where the tides run at some fairly healthy speeds, of up to 4kts....

An interesting experience...

Fortunately, with a bit of subtle throttle work, we managed to grab a buoy as we drifted helplessly past it.....

I was easily able to put the cable back in place, and had previously noted that it was a bit slack, and perhaps should be tightened up, so know that it was my own fault....

But I realised that I don't really know how tight it should be..... just tight enough to stop it coming off?.... bar taut?....

Any advice welcomed.... as i'd rather it didn't drop off again!

 

[fireball]

Ah, my lad ... what you need is one of these new fangled things made out of wood called .... a Tiller! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Sorry /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif No idea on the cable taughtness ... nifty work picking up a buoy with no steerage! That's got to be pretty nerve racking!!
Do you know the make/model of steering gear?

 

[Bilgediver]

It must have been very slack to drop off /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have wire steering and have it tight enough that I can only move the wire about 1" back and for in the centre of a run of 3 ft.

I don t have it bar tight as the wire bears on a plain drum at the wheel and so could easily be deformed.

 

[Salty John]

Lock the wheel and try to move the quadrant; there should be virtually no play. However, you don't want to overtighten either or you'll get accelerated wear. Nigel Calder reckons you should be able to depress the cable between pulleys one inch for every foot of cable length with moderate finger pressure. Very subjective, but better than nothing!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Yes...

One of my immediate learning points was... don't bury the emergency tiller at the bottom of the locker.....

Its, I suspect Whitlock, but don't know... but regardless, it would be unfair to blame the manufacturer.... it was my fault.... it was too slack.... the work of a few moments to tightent it up.... isn't hindsight wonderful!

It was definitely a brown underpants moment......./forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif and no idea how we managed to get to the buoy.... I just played with the throttle back and forth while the crew got the anchor ready, and we just happened to chance upon the buoy!

 

[catalac08]

hi
you may find that as you tighten the cables the steering becomes much stiffer as friction becomes greater - a compromise perhaps between a little play in the steering or heavy steering

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
But I realised that I don't really know how tight it should be..... just tight enough to stop it coming off?.... bar taut?....

[/ QUOTE ]

Definitely not bar tight.

During all my problems with my cable steering gear, there was no cut and dried advice, but the impression I got was not too tight, but a bit tighter than just enough to stop it coming off...

Which makes things crystal clear <g>

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Thanks guys.... I think I got it about right then, just using common sense.... was worried about over tightening it, and placing too much load on the bearings in both the rudder post, and the wheel..... will check it properly at the weekend for deflection as per Mr Calders wisdom....

 

[Robin]

Not too tight or friction will increase, not too loose in an open wire system or it can jump off... On a pull/pull type system fitted usually on centre cockpit boats with wire in conduits, too tight means the wires cut into the outer casing, create grooves and extra friction.

If you have a quadrant mounted autopilot drive like a Raymarine ST6000 you could have used this to steer on the +/- buttons.

 

[searover]

Just one thing though, how can you steer with st6000 if a cable has come of the quadrant, as the cable still atached will only bend if pushed , or am i fantasising,ive spelt that wrong, /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

If its quadrant mounted it doesn't need the cables..... sadly mine is wheel mounted....

 

[sailorman]

i adjust mine so that when i "wiggle" the wheel i cant feel the rudder wiggling therefore slack lines

 

[searover]

AAHHH i apolagize, i missed the bit about quadrant mounted, silly me,its an age thing... i hope. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Blue Fox]

It must be quite tight, as I discovered this summer during my trip to the Baltic. I broke my steering cable - had noticed a certain slack before. The Dane that fixed it, said the breakage was due to the cable being too slack, and that the wheelpilot (a Simrad) now worked like a 'hammer', taking up the slack with a jolt. I believed him, because we had used the pilot in the German Bight for 21 hours in rough circumstances with the pilot constantly working (I'd rather not enter the Elbe estuary with a force 6 again - but that's another story). So be sure to take out any slack.
Chris

 

[roly_voya]

I had similar problems and also the quadrant is not quite true so if is right in the centre its to tight at full lock and vic-versa. The solution was to add a heavy spring, think there are specially made one but I used a rubber shock absorber designed to mooring lines with a heafty galvanised shackle each end. Works a treat, keeps the cable tensin even and cusions any shock loading.